Dixfield teen arrested following Peru driving accident

PARIS — Police have arrested a 19-year-old local man on charges of endangering and leaving the scene of an accident which left a Peru teen with life-threatening injuries.

Nelson Pepin of Dixfield is charged with felony driving to endanger, felony leaving the scene of an accident, failing to report an accident and violation of bail conditions stemming from his involvement in an incident around 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 6, on Route 108 in Peru.

Authorities have not released the name of the victim, whose condition was improving but remained critical, according to Oxford County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Brian Landis.

According to Oxford County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Hart Daley, Pepin was behind the wheel of a truck in which the victim, also 19, was ejected.

Advertisement

After interviewing two male occupants present in the vehicle at the time, police believe the victim was ejected due to the erratic operation of the vehicle.

After the incident, the victim, who police said is friends with Pepin and the other occupants, was lifted into the same truck and transported to Rumford Hospital.

The incident was never reported to police, who interviewed witnesses and tracked social media posts to learn the identity of the driver, Daley said.

He went to work after the incident, but the pickup truck in question has not been located, Daley said.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and information will be released in due course, Landis said.

Pepin was arrested without incident Friday afternoon by Lt. Brian Landis, deputy Bill Nelson and Maine Game Warden Josh Smith, according to Daley.

The investigation is still ongoing and, more charges could be pending, Daley said.

Pepin was held without bail in Oxford County Jail in Paris on Friday. He is expected to appear before a judge on Tuesday.